Quotes

[in the December 1976 issue of "Playgirl"] I don't want to be known as a sex symbol. There's a great stigma that goes with that tag. I want to be a Sam Elliott.

I've spent my entire career on horseback or on a motorcycle. It boxes you in, the way people perceive you. I read a lot of scripts. Most of 'em go to other actors.

I think I might have been a more interesting actor, had more of a career earlier on, if I had more formal preparation. When I see something ten years later that I was in I think, "Boy, would I love to do that over."

I was really happy that Ang Lee won the Best Director award, I got to know him very well on Hulk (2003). But I'm not the Brokeback Mountain (2005) crowd, what can I tell ya. I'm more of a purist. But at the same time, it's a new day.

I'm picky, very picky. I wanted to be an actor since I was nine years old and I figured that was only one way to ever have any longevity and that's to be careful about what kind of work you do. You can work for money, do a lot of whatever comes your way and not have any kind of a yardstick to measure quality by, and people, you know you'll make a lot of money if you're lucky, and people will get fed up and sick of seeing you and that's it onto the next one. - On his career choices.

[on his Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009) co-star Hugh Grant] I've never known anybody that can get away with the shit that Hugh Grant gets away with. And he gets away with it because he's so damn charming. He gets away with everything. I couldn't get away with the stuff he gets away with -- I mean I wouldn't even try! Hugh Grant is the main man. He's the number one romantic comedy man in the world.

The Catholic church happened to The Golden Compass (2007), as far as I'm concerned. It did incredible at the box office. Incredible. It took $85m in the States. The Catholic church... lambasted them, and I think it scared New Line off.